They may be bored, looking for excitement, or simply think that radicalism is an adventure.

Those were some of the reasons terrorism experts cited as to why vulnerable young people can be influenced by terrorist propaganda online.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs revealed that an unnamed 17-year-old youth was arrested earlier this month under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for further investigations into the extent of his radicalisation.

Another youth, M Arifil Azim Putra Norja’i, 19, has been detained since April under the ISA for terrorism-related activities.

The trend of ISIS targeting young people is a global phenomenon that is likely to persist, said Professor Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.

He pointed to three “terrorist indicators”: a sudden change of behaviour, isolation from the community and family, and hatred towards other religious communities.

“As long as Singaporeans remain alert and vigilant (to these indicators), it will be very difficult for a successful terrorist attack to take place,” he said.

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